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Pastors Source

Tithing and "status"

Now that I'm all grown up and have seen this for enough years, I've come to a general conclusion.

People who can/will tithe more in church are looked at/treated better than those who can't/won't tithe more.

They seem to be viewed as more important to the church and if a situation comes up between two members, the one with the bigger tithe is usually right. A number of ones with the biggest tithes walk around with an attitude of pride and ownership.

That bugs me.

That isn't to say that I haven't seen some people with more money who tithe a lot not be the sweetest, most humble people in the church, but it definitely doesn't seem to be the majority in the high tithing groups in various churches.

And in reality? The ones with the higher tithes really are the ones who make things work. There can be all kinds of talk about how important every single person is and it sounds all nice and Christian and wonderful, but what would happen if they did NOT tithe? They pay the electric. They pay for the materials that get sent out. They pay for the tracts. They pay for the missionaries going out into the world. They're the most responsible for the pastor's pay, for everyone's pay, and it's natural to have a higher degree of respect for whoever is paying your wages and helping feed your family. It's also natural to want to not anger those people.

That's just how it is.

Is it wrong?

What do you think would happen to our churches today if all tithing was kept anonymous and nobody knew who tithed what?

Do you think this would make churches stronger, or would they fall apart? Would there be a reasonable way to make tithing anonymous without drastically increasing the chances of fraud?

Do you think a number of the highest tithers would quit attending their church if they no longer were known to the pastor and others as the ones who keep the church physically running in order for the spiritual work to continue?

Could a church really function in the United States without a building, without tracts, without a central system of giving to the church? I understand how it was needed when the temple and sacrifices and such were in place, but is there still even an honest need for a set amount of tithing, and must it always be money that one tithes?

Has the church put too much emphasis on "stuff," to the detriment of their own members, by creating too much of a break between the rich and the poor?

Now that I'm all grown up and have seen this for enough years, I've come to a general conclusion.

People who can/will tithe more in church are looked at/treated better than those who can't/won't tithe more.

First, a note. Keep in mind I am making generalities. Church’s need people who are visionary, business minded, and motivated in order to thrive. People of that sort, tend to succeed on a personal level. People who lack these attributes don’t do as well in their careers.

Twice I have had the experience of joining a church while I held a good job. Both of these times, I was jobless a couple of years later. Sadly, both times I was received with a red carpet only to be reduced to second class status when the job was gone. I still had the same skills as before – professional and ministerial – but I was suddenly irrelevant.

They seem to be viewed as more important to the church and if a situation comes up between two members, the one with the bigger tithe is usually right. A number of ones with the biggest tithes walk around with an attitude of pride and ownership.

The stories I could tell on this but I am sure you have your own.

That bugs me.

It infuriates me without measure.

That isn't to say that I haven't seen some people with more money who tithe a lot not be the sweetest, most humble people in the church, but it definitely doesn't seem to be the majority in the high tithing groups in various churches.

And in reality? The ones with the higher tithes really are the ones who make things work. There can be all kinds of talk about how important every single person is and it sounds all nice and Christian and wonderful, but what would happen if they did NOT tithe? They pay the electric. They pay for the materials that get sent out. They pay for the tracts. They pay for the missionaries going out into the world. They're the most responsible for the pastor's pay, for everyone's pay, and it's natural to have a higher degree of respect for whoever is paying your wages and helping feed your family. It's also natural to want to not anger those people.

That's just how it is.

Sadly true.

Is it wrong?

YES!

What do you think would happen to our churches today if all tithing was kept anonymous and nobody knew who tithed what?

Do you think this would make churches stronger, or would they fall apart? Would there be a reasonable way to make tithing anonymous without drastically increasing the chances of fraud?

Not knowing who gave what would make it easier to avoid being a “respecter of persons.” Fraud is avoided by being transparent in where the money goes.

Do you think a number of the highest tithers would quit attending their church if they no longer were known to the pastor and others as the ones who keep the church physically running in order for the spiritual work to continue?

If the only thing keeping them there is that the pastor and leadership caters to them on account of their tithes, then the only thing I would have to say to them as they left is, “May the doorknob hit ya’ where the good Lord split ya’.”

Could a church really function in the United States without a building, without tracts, without a central system of giving to the church? I understand how it was needed when the temple and sacrifices and such were in place, but is there still even an honest need for a set amount of tithing, and must it always be money that one tithes?

Has the church put too much emphasis on "stuff," to the detriment of their own members, by creating too much of a break between the rich and the poor?

Absolutely we have too much ‘stuff’! Too many churches are overextended in their buildings to the point that they become more concerned about maintaining the property than they are about outreach. If you doubt me, time the next church meeting. Compare the time spent discussing finances for the building versus time spent discussing ministry needs. Outreach and ministering to the flock is really not that expensive when pared down to the essentials.

This is the reason, that as a pastor, I will not count the offering. I do not want to know who is giving and who is not.
BTW, I do know of a pastor (of another church ) that will not allow a member hold a postion unless he is giving at least 10% of his income. (I know I didnt say thithing - thats another subject)

Oh the experiences we've had in this department! Without fail, the biggest financial givers have been our harshest critics and most controlling, self-righteous people in the church. We made a big mistake once by voting in one of these folks as church treasurer. They suddenly became "boss" of the church, threatening to withhold my dh's paycheck if he did anything they disagreed with. The attitude became "this WILL happen in the church because WE will MAKE it happen by paying for it."

Oh, and they "owned" us since they tithed more and "paid my dh's wages" so that gave them the right to try to run our lives, even down to what clothes we bought for our children and how we cleaned the church! Like Salty, we NEVER counted the offering or knew who gave what amount, but in a tiny church it's kind of obvious.

The last few years we gave cash or did things behind the scenes so no one would know when or what we gave. We were then accused of NOT giving! Never again. We're now attending a big church where we can give cash and it not be noticed. We will not be writing checks as tithe so someone can keep a written record of it.

The only pastor who knows what people give is our business pastor (he's a CPA by former trade) and his staff but they are sworn to secrecy and unless they know what a person makes, they can't know if people tithe or not except those of us who are fully employed by the church. I'd not want to know what people are giving at all!

The first step toward running a church with integrity is for the pastoral and teaching staff to be fully submitted to God, committing themselves to preaching and teaching truth as it is written in the Bible.

The first step toward running a church with integrity is for the pastoral and teaching staff to be fully submitted to God, committing themselves to preaching and teaching truth as it is written in the Bible.